The service will let visitors convert crypto and pay electronically by scanning a QR code. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira is expected to announce the rollout at a press conference alongside local regulators.
To use TouristDigiPay, travelers will need accounts with both a licensed digital-asset company and an e-money provider regulated by the Thai SEC and central bank. Participants must also complete KYC checks and pass anti-money laundering screening.
The program is launching under a regulatory sandbox, which means payments won’t involve direct crypto settlement. Instead, the system converts tokens into baht and processes them like regular e-money transactions.
According to Napongthawat Photthikit, senior director at the Bank of Thailand’s payments policy unit, a dedicated “tourist wallet” has already been built. It is designed to make spending easier for visitors from countries that don’t have cross-border QR agreements with Thailand.
Initially, TouristDigiPay will operate as a currency-conversion platform, with plans to expand support for international debit and credit cards later on. Merchants using the system will face a monthly cap of 500,000 baht (~$15,400) in crypto-linked payments, while small businesses will be limited to 50,000 baht (~$1,500).
The move follows Thailand’s May announcement of its state-backed G-Token investment instrument, a digital bond created to cover fiscal shortfalls. Regulators have stressed that G-Token cannot be used for retail payments or money transfers